JP7459188B2 - Correction device and correction method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a correction device and a correction method for correcting deformations in tubes.

BACKGROUND ART Equipment equipped with various mechanisms is known as equipment for correcting bends and elliptical deformations in pipes such as iron pipes. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a mechanism in which a tube that requires straightening is detected using a bending inspection device, the detected tube is installed in the straightening device, and then the amount of bending is measured. In this mechanism, the tube is positioned so as to straighten a large amount of bending, and the tube is straightened in a fixed state, that is, in a state where the tube is not rotated. In addition, with this mechanism, correction is repeatedly performed while checking the amount of bending.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-057859

Since the technology of Patent Document 1 needs to identify the part that needs straightening, it requires equipment to identify bent pipes and identify the bent parts of the pipe, making the entire straightening equipment larger. do. In addition, time is required for these identifications, and the correction time is long, resulting in low work efficiency.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a tube straightening device and a tube straightening method that have higher working efficiency than conventional straightening mechanisms.

In order to solve the above problems, a straightening device according to one aspect of the present invention is a straightening device that corrects deformation of a tube, and includes a tube rotating section that rotates the tube around a tube axis; a correction mechanism that is capable of contacting a predetermined position on an outer circumferential surface and is equipped with a contact roller that is rotatable following the rotation of the tube; and a control section that controls the movement of the position of the correction mechanism, The section adjusts the position of the correction mechanism so that the contact roller contacts the predetermined position of the tube while it is being rotated by the tube rotating section, and a load of a predetermined magnitude is applied to the predetermined position. It is something to control.

According to the above configuration, the position of the contact roller is controlled, and a load is applied by the contact roller to a predetermined position on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating tube. As a result, a uniform load is applied to the tube along its outer circumferential surface, and the deformed tube can be straightened over its entire length.

Further, according to the above configuration, since deformation is corrected over the entire length of the pipe by applying a load to the predetermined position of the pipe by the contact roller, it is possible to perform an inspection to identify the deformed part before correction, and to determine the presence or absence of deformation. You can omit the necessary inspections. Therefore, there is no need to install such an inspection mechanism, and the equipment for performing correction can be made smaller than before. Further, since the time required for such an inspection in the tube straightening process can be omitted, the working efficiency of tube straightening can be improved.

Furthermore, in conventional correction methods, it was necessary to adjust the correction position of the tube (by rotating it) based on the inspection results of the deformed area, but with the above configuration, the correction position can be adjusted while rotating the tube. This eliminates the need for adjusting the tube straightening position as in the past, and can significantly reduce working time.

Furthermore, according to the above configuration, since the structure that contacts the predetermined position is a contact roller that rotates following the rotation of the tube, it is possible to apply a load without damaging the outer circumferential surface of the tube. .

Further, in the correction device according to one aspect of the present invention, in the above configuration, the control section includes a movement speed adjustment section that adjusts a speed at which the position of the correction mechanism is moved.

According to the above configuration, by providing the moving speed adjusting section, the contact roller at a position where a load of the predetermined magnitude is applied to the predetermined position of the pipe is adjusted to When the tube leaves the predetermined position, the load applied to the predetermined position can be slowly reduced. By reducing the load slowly in this manner, the residual stress caused by the deformation of the tube can be continuously canceled out to zero, and the tube can be straightened over its entire length. On the other hand, it is possible to press the contact roller rapidly during the step of applying a load to the predetermined position of the tube, ie faster than the speed of movement when reducing the load. Therefore, by adjusting the moving speed to an appropriate speed depending on the process, the processing time required for correction can be minimized.

In addition, in the straightening device according to one aspect of the present invention, in the above configuration, the tube has a receiving port at one tube end and a straight tube section between the receiving port and the other tube end, the straightening mechanism has a first straightening member having a first contact roller as the contact roller, and a second straightening member provided at a different location along the tube axis direction of the tube from the first straightening member and having a second contact roller different from the first contact roller as the contact roller, the first straightening member sets the central portion of the tube in the tube axis direction as the predetermined position and brings the first contact roller into contact with the central portion, and the second straightening member sets the boundary portion between the receiving port and the straight tube section as the predetermined position and brings the second contact roller into contact with the boundary portion.

With this configuration, the second straightening member can effectively apply a load to the boundary portion (sometimes called the neck portion) of a pipe with a receiving port, which has a relatively large amount of bending. Also, in a long pipe, the central portion in the axial direction of the pipe is prone to bending, so the first straightening member can effectively apply a load to the central portion. The first straightening member and the second straightening member can effectively correct deformation of the pipe with a receiving port over the entire length of the pipe.

In order to solve the above problem, a straightening method according to one aspect of the present invention includes a step of rotating a tube around the tube axis, a first step of contacting a straightening mechanism with a predetermined position on the outer circumferential surface of the rotating tube and moving the straightening mechanism in a predetermined direction to apply a load of a predetermined magnitude to the predetermined position, and a second step of gradually reducing the load by moving the straightening mechanism in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction after the first step, and the speed of the movement of the straightening mechanism in the second step is made slower than the speed of the movement of the straightening mechanism in the first step.

According to the above method, the straightening mechanism applies a load to a predetermined position on the outer circumferential surface of the tube rotating around the tube axis, so that the load is applied evenly along the outer circumferential surface of the tube, and the deformed tube can be straightened over its entire length.

According to the above method, since deformation is corrected over the entire length of the pipe by applying a load to the predetermined position of the pipe, it is possible to omit an inspection to identify the deformed part before correction or an inspection to determine the presence or absence of deformation. . Therefore, there is no need to install such an inspection mechanism, and the equipment for performing correction can be made smaller than before. Further, since the time required for such an inspection in the tube straightening process can be omitted, the working efficiency of tube straightening can be improved.

Furthermore, in conventional correction methods, it was necessary to adjust the correction position of the tube (by rotating it) based on the inspection results of the deformed area, but with the above configuration, the correction position can be adjusted while rotating the tube. This eliminates the need for adjusting the tube straightening position as in the conventional method, and can significantly reduce working time.

Further, according to the above method, by regulating the speed of movement of the correction mechanism as described above, the load applied to the predetermined position can be slowly reduced. By slowly reducing the load in this manner, the residual stress caused by the deformation of the tube can be continuously canceled out, leading to zero residual stress, and the tube can be straightened more straightly. On the other hand, in the first step of applying a load to the predetermined position of the tube, the load is applied rapidly, that is, faster than the moving speed when reducing the load. Therefore, by adjusting the moving speed to an appropriate speed depending on the process, the processing time required for correction can be minimized.

Further, in the straightening method according to one aspect of the present invention, in the above method, the pipe has a socket at one pipe end, and a straight pipe part between the socket and the other pipe end. The first step includes a first step and a second step performed after the first step, and in the first step, the boundary portion between the socket and the straight pipe portion is set as the predetermined position, The correction mechanism is brought into contact with the boundary portion, and in the latter step, the correction mechanism is brought into contact with the center portion, with the center portion of the tube in the tube axis direction being the predetermined position.

According to the above method, by first applying a load to the boundary portion (sometimes called the neck portion) of a pipe with a receiving port, where the amount of bending is relatively large, the pipe can be effectively straightened. Also, since the central portion of a long pipe in the axial direction is prone to bending, applying a load to the central portion of the pipe, which has already been straightened to a certain extent by the load on the boundary portion, makes it possible to straighten the pipe more effectively.

According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a tube straightening device and a tube straightening method that have higher working efficiency than conventional straightening mechanisms.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a tube straightening line including a straightening device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of a tube to be corrected by the correction device shown in FIG. 1, partially showing a cross section. FIG. 2 is a side view of the correction device shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a partial side view of the correction device shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a side view of the tube rotating section of the orthodontic device shown in FIG. 1 when viewed in the tube axis direction. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the second correcting member 40 taken along the line AA' shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control section of the correction device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram of a pipe produced on a pipe production line and before being straightened by a straightening device, showing the pipe in a bent state. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the residual stress generated in a bent pipe and the new stress (residual stress) caused by the straightening device, using a cross section perpendicular to the pipe axis. It is a flowchart of the correction method concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure showing the modification of the correction device of one embodiment of the present invention.

A correction device and a correction method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the drawing also shows three-dimensional coordinates of an XYZ system, where the XY plane defines a horizontal plane, and the Z axis defines a vertical direction (the negative direction of the Z axis is the direction of gravity).

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a tube straightening line 2 including a straightening device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The tube straightening line 2 shown in FIG. 1 can be incorporated into a part of a tube manufacturing line. In the example shown in FIG. 1, three tubes 100 whose tube axes extend in the X-axis direction are sequentially conveyed along the tube straightening line 2 in the Y-axis positive direction by the conveying device 3. The correction device 1 is disposed closer to the positive direction of the Y-axis than the conveyance device 3. Note that the configuration of the transport device 3 is not particularly limited, and a known configuration can be used.

<Tube to be corrected>
First, the tube 100 to be corrected by the correction device 1 of this embodiment will be described using FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, for convenience of explanation, a portion is a cutaway view, and the hatched portion represents the cut surface of the tube 100.

As shown in FIG. 2, the pipe 100 has a receiving port 100b formed at one end and an insertion port 100c formed at the other end. A straight pipe section 100a is formed between the receiving port 100b and the insertion port 100c, and extends in a substantially straight line. The diameter of the inner circumferential surface of the insertion port 100c is substantially constant along the pipe axis. Since the diameter of the inner circumferential surface of the insertion port 100c is substantially constant along the pipe axis and is the same as the diameter of the inner circumferential surface of the straight pipe section 100a, it can be included as part of the straight pipe section 100a.

The socket 100b has a shape into which another pipe is inserted. Further, an annular groove is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the socket 100b for mounting a lock ring to prevent the pipe 100 from coming off when connected to another pipe. Socket 100b and spigot 100c allow tube 100 to be connected to other tubes.

As the pipe 100 having the above configuration, for example, there is a known ductile iron pipe used as an earthquake-resistant pipe for water supply. However, it is not limited to this. The tube 100 having such a configuration is manufactured on a tube manufacturing line, is conveyed to a tube straightening line 2 provided in the middle of the manufacturing line, and is conveyed to the straightening device 1 by a conveying device 3.

By the way, although it is ideal that the tube axis of the tube 100 is straight, bending (deflection) may occur on the tube manufacturing line. Moreover, although it is ideal that the pipe 100 such as a ductile iron pipe has a perfect circle in cross section, the roundness may be reduced and the cross section may become elliptical. In this specification, these bends (deflections) and ellipses are collectively referred to as deformation of the tube 100, and the correction device 1 is provided as a device for correcting this deformation.

<Orthodontic device>
FIG. 3 shows a side view of the straightening device 1, with the tube 100 being conveyed to the straightening device 1. The straightening device 1 includes a tube rotating section 11, a straightening mechanism 12, and a control section 13. These configurations will be explained below.

(Tube Rotation Section 11)
The pipe rotation unit 11 rotates the pipe 100 around the pipe axis. One example of the pipe rotation unit 11 is a rotating roller. As shown in Fig. 3, the pipe rotation unit 11 rotates the pipe 100 around the pipe axis by rotating a rotation mechanism (rotating roller) in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the pipe 100 while supporting the pipe 100 from below on the receiving port 100b side and the insertion port 100c side of the pipe 100.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the area surrounded by the two-dot broken line shown in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a side view of the tube rotating section 11 shown in FIG. 4, viewed in the X-axis direction.

As shown in FIG. 5, the tube rotation unit 11 includes two rotating rollers 11a and 11b, and a drive unit 11k that drives the two rotating rollers 11a and 11b to rotate. The two rotating rollers 11a and 11b are adjacent to each other with their rotation axes parallel to each other along the X-axis direction, and a tube 100 having a tube axis in the X-axis direction is placed in a valley formed at the boundary between the roller surface of the rotating roller 11a and the roller surface of the rotating roller 11b. The drive unit 11k rotates the two rotating rollers 11a and 11b in the same direction. This allows the tube 100 to rotate around the tube axis.

If the tube is rotated using the two rotating rollers 11a and 11b in this way, the two rotating rollers 11a and 11b can be used in common even for tubes having different diameters, and the equipment It is possible to reduce costs. FIGS. 4 and 5 also hypothetically show two types of tubes having different diameters.

The rotation speed (unit: rpm) of the tube 100 by the tube rotating section 11 can be, for example, 20 to 95 rpm, preferably 60 to 95 rpm. In terms of time per revolution of the tube 100, it can be 0.6 to 3 seconds/rotation, preferably 0.6 to 1 second/rotation.

(Correction mechanism 12)
The correction mechanism 12 includes a first correction member 20 having a first contact roller 22 (contact roller) and a second correction member 40 having a second contact roller 42 (contact roller).

The first correction member 20 and the second correction member 40 are provided at different locations along the tube axis direction (X-axis direction) of the tube 100. Specifically, the first correction member 20 is disposed near the center portion 100m of the tube 100 in order to bring the first contact roller 22 into contact with the center portion 100m (predetermined position) in the tube axis direction. Note that the location of the first contact roller 22 is not limited to the vicinity of the central portion 100m. Further, the second correction member 40 is arranged near the boundary portion 100p in order to bring the second contact roller 42 into contact with the boundary portion 100p (FIG. 2) (predetermined position) between the socket 100b and the straight pipe portion 100a. has been done. Note that the boundary portion 100p is sometimes referred to as a neck portion.

The first contact roller 22 and the second contact roller 42 are capable of contacting predetermined positions on the outer peripheral surface of the tube 100 and are rotatable as the tube rotation section 11 rotates the tube 100 . The first contact roller 22 is disposed at the lower end of the first correction member 20 , and the second contact roller 42 is disposed at the lower end of the second correction member 40 .

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the second correction member 40 taken along the cutting line AA' shown in FIG. It is. For convenience of explanation, FIG. 6 also shows rotating rollers 11a and 11b of the tube rotating section 11. Note that since the first correction member 20 and the second correction member 40 have the same configuration, only the configuration of the second correction member 40 will be described here, and the description of the configuration of the first correction member 20 will be omitted.

The second correction member 40 includes a second contact roller 42 , a roller support section 43 , and a correction drive section 44 .

As shown in FIG. 6, two second contact rollers 42 are arranged side by side in the Y direction. Each of the second contact rollers 42 is a driven roller, and has a rotating shaft extending in the X-axis direction by bringing the outer peripheral surface of each second contact roller 42 into contact with the tube 100 rotated by the tube rotating section 11. Each rotates around the center. The two second contact rollers 42 arranged in the Y-axis direction rotate in accordance with the rotation of the tube 100 so as to sandwich the area above the tube axis of the outer peripheral surface of the tube 100 in the Y-direction. It is arranged. Thereby, the tube 100 placed on the tube rotating section 11 is supported so as not to shift upward.

The circumferential surface of the second contact roller 42 is made of a material that can withstand the load. A specific example of the material is iron, but the material is not limited to this, and any material with extremely high hardness can be used (for example, hard resin). Further, the circumferential surface of the second contact roller 42 is preferably configured in an arcuate shape so as not to damage the outer circumferential surface of the tube 100 by contacting the outer circumferential surface.

The roller support part 43 supports the second contact roller 42. The roller support part 43 is connected to the correction drive part 44.

The correction drive section 44 moves the second contact roller 42 in the positive and negative directions along the Z-axis by moving the roller support section 43 in the positive and negative directions along the Z-axis. The correction drive section 44 moves the roller support section 43 under the control of the control section 13 .

In other words, both the first correction member 20 and the second correction member 40 are rams that have a contact roller at the lower end and move the contact roller up and down.

(Control unit 13)
The control unit 13 controls the movement of the position of the correction mechanism 12, that is, the positions of the first correction member 20 and the second correction member 40. Specifically, the control unit 13 brings the first contact roller 22 and the second contact roller 42 into contact with each of the predetermined positions of the tube 100 that is being rotated by the tube rotation unit 11, and The positions of the first correction member 20 and the second correction member 40 are controlled so that a predetermined amount of load is applied to a predetermined position. Furthermore, when moving the correction mechanism 12 (the first contact roller 22 and the second contact roller 42), the control unit 13 adjusts the speed of movement and applies a load of a predetermined size until the correction mechanism 12 (the first contact roller 22 and the second contact roller 42) reaches the predetermined position. The speed of movement for later retreating from the predetermined position is controlled.

The control unit 13 controls the positions of the first correction member 20 and the second correction member 40 independently of each other, but since the control contents are the same, below, the movement control of the position of the first correction member 20 will be explained. However, the control of movement of the position of the second correction member 40 is the same as the control of movement of the position of the first correction member 20 unless otherwise explained, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control section 13. As shown in FIG. The control unit 13 includes a position adjustment unit 131 that controls the position of the first contact roller 22 of the first correction member 20, and a movement speed adjustment unit that adjusts the speed at which the position of the first contact roller 22 is moved with respect to the above-mentioned movement speed. 132. Note that in this embodiment, the configuration is divided into the position adjustment unit 131 and the movement speed adjustment unit 132, but one aspect of the present invention is not limited to this, and the configuration that realizes the functions described in this embodiment That's fine.

The position adjustment unit 131 adjusts the position of the first contact roller 22 to a prescribed position. The positions of the first contact roller 22 include the following positions;
- A position above the pipe 100, where the first contact roller 22 starts moving toward the central portion 100 m (predetermined position) of the pipe 100 (movement start position)
・Position where contact starts (contact position) with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the central portion 100m (predetermined position) of the pipe 100
・The position when the above-mentioned predetermined load is applied to the pipe 100 (load position)
・Position where the central portion 100m (predetermined position) of the pipe 100 is in a non-contact state with the outer peripheral surface after applying a load (release position)
- A position above the pipe 100 (retracted position) which has been retracted from the vicinity of the central portion 100 m (predetermined position) of the pipe 100.

The position adjustment unit 131 adjusts the first contact roller 22 at a predetermined timing so that the first contact roller 22 is positioned in the order of the movement start position, the contact position, the load position, the release position, and the retreat position.

When the first contact roller 22 is at the load position, the position adjustment unit 131 maintains the position for a predetermined period of time. The predetermined period is, for example, a period of time corresponding to at least one rotation of the tube 100.

When the first contact roller 22 is in the loaded position by the position adjustment section 131, a predetermined load is applied to the central portion 100m of the tube 100. As an example, the load is between 1.5 and 3 tons.

These predetermined positions may be common to all the tubes 100 that are sequentially conveyed from the upstream side of the tube straightening line 2 by the conveying device 3. However, it is not common to all the tubes 100, and the condition of each tube 100 may be detected by some kind of detection means and determined based on the detection result. An example of using a detection means is to identify whether a predetermined amount of load is applied to the tube 100 by detecting the load of the first correction member 20, and then to push the first correction member 20 further. There may be a mode of determining whether there is a load and specifying the exact load position.

The movement speed adjustment section 132 controls the movement speed of movement from a specified position adjusted by the position adjustment section 131 to another specified position. That is, based on the stipulated position mentioned above,
・Movement speed V1 from the movement start position to the contact position
・Movement speed V2 from contact position to load position
・Movement speed V3 from load position to release position
・Movement speed from release position to evacuation position V4
The moving speed adjustment unit 132 adjusts each of the moving speeds V1 to V4.

Specifically, the moving speed adjustment unit 132 determines that the relationship between the above-mentioned moving speed V2 and moving speed V3 is as follows.
V2>V3
Control so that

Furthermore, in consideration of improving the efficiency of the correction work performed by the correction device 1, the movement speed adjustment unit 132 sets the movement speed V1 and the movement speed V4 to the fastest among the movement speeds V1 to V4.

Furthermore, in consideration of improving the efficiency of the correction work performed by the correction device 1, the movement speed adjustment unit 132 adjusts the relationship between the movement speed V1 and the movement speed V2 as follows.
V1≧V2
Control so that

In short, the moving speed V3 is set to be slower than the moving speeds V1, V2, and V4. As an example, the moving speed V3 can be set to 5 to 7 mm/sec per rotation of the tube 100, but is not limited to this.

The control unit 13 does not control the position of the first contact roller 22 while three-dimensionally specifying the position with respect to the specified position described above. As an example, the control unit 13 specifies a certain position of the first contact roller 22 in advance (for example, the position of the first contact roller 22 at the movement start position), and measures a specified movement speed and elapsed time from that position, so that the first contact roller 22 is positioned at the specified position described above.

The control unit 13 performs the same process as described above on the second correction member 40, but the timing for starting the correction process for the first correction member 20 and the timing for starting the correction process for the second correction member 40 are different. differ as described below. Note that at least one of the above-mentioned moving speeds of the first correction member 20 and the second correction member 40 may be different from each other, but the relationship between the moving speeds V1 to V4 is the same as described above. It is preferable that there be. In FIG. 3, the control section 13 is provided for each of the first correction member 20 and the second correction member 40, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. 2 correction members 40 may be controlled. The second contact roller 42 of the second straightening member 40 is configured to apply a predetermined load of, for example, 3 to 6 tons to the boundary portion 100p of the tube 100.

<Principle of correction>
The principle of straightening the tube 100 will be explained using FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. 8 is a diagram of the pipe 100 that is bent, which is an example of the deformation of the pipe 100. When the tube 100 is bent at its center as shown in FIG. 8 due to heat treatment or the like during tube manufacture, residual stress is applied to the tube 100 such that it deforms in the direction of the arrow.

In the straightening device 1 of this embodiment, while the tube 100 is rotated by the tube rotating unit 11, the first contact roller 22 is pushed from the outer surface of the tube 100 toward the tube axis by the straightening mechanism 12. At this time, the pushing is performed with a load much stronger than the residual stress shown in FIG. 8. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9, a uniform residual stress is applied along the outer surface of the tube 100. Then, by slowly removing the load, the residual stresses at positions symmetrical with respect to the tube axis cancel each other out and become almost zero, as shown on the right side of FIG. 9. As a result, the tube 100 is straightened over its entire length. Information on the amount of bending of the tube can be obtained from tubes manufactured on a similar manufacturing line in the past, and the pushing amount (distance) is set using this information.

The pipe 100 to be straightened in this embodiment has a receiving port 100b as shown in FIG. 2. In the case of this type of pipe 100, the boundary portion 100p, which is sometimes called the neck portion, has a large amount of curvature, so the inventors have discovered that by pressing the boundary portion 100p with a strong load by the second contact roller 42 of the second straightening member 40, the pipe can be effectively straightened over its entire length.

<Correction method>
The correction method in this embodiment is performed using the above-mentioned correction device 1. FIG. 10 is a processing flow of the correction method of this embodiment. Note that the processing flow of the correction apparatus can be expressed as a control flow by the control unit 13 (FIG. 3).

As described above, the first correction member 20 and the second correction member 40 of the correction mechanism 12 can be controlled independently; Since it is better to push in the part 100m earlier than the part 100m, the processing flow for the second correction member 40 on the socket 100b side is performed first, as shown in FIG. Note that the following processing flow is performed while the tube 100 is rotating around the tube axis.

Specifically, in step S11, the control unit 13 starts moving the second straightening member 40 on the receiving port 100b side in the negative Z-axis direction (first direction). The timing of starting rotation of the pipe 100 may be before step S11, simultaneously with step S11, or immediately after step S11. The control unit 13 (movement speed adjustment unit 132) lowers the second straightening member 40 at a predetermined movement speed V1.

Next, in step S12, the control unit 13 causes the second contact roller 42 of the second straightening member 40 to contact the boundary portion 100p of the outer circumferential surface of the tube 100, and further move in the Z-axis negative direction (first direction). By moving, the tube 100 is pushed in and a predetermined amount of load is applied to the tube 100. At this time, the control section 13 (moving speed adjustment section 132) moves (lowers) the second correction member 40 from the contact position to the load position at a predetermined moving speed V2. As an example, the second contact roller 42 of the second correction member 40 applies a load of 6 tons to the boundary portion 100p.

Next, in step S13, the control unit 13 maintains a state in which the second contact roller 42 of the second straightening member 40 applies a predetermined load to the tube 100 for a predetermined time. Thereby, the tube 100 is straightened with the boundary portion 100p as the center.

Next, in step S14, the control unit 13 moves the second correction member 40 in the positive Z-axis direction (second direction) in order to release the load applied by the second contact roller 42 on the second correction member 40 ( start). At this time, the control unit 13 (movement speed adjustment unit 132) moves the second correction member 40 at a predetermined movement speed V3 from the load position to the release position where the contact between the pipe 100 and the second contact roller 42 is released. (raise) The predetermined moving speed V3 is slower than the moving speeds V1, V2, and V4 of the second correction member 40.

Next, in step S15, the control unit 13 further moves the second contact roller 42 of the second correction member 40 from the release position to the retracted position. At this time, the control section 13 (movement speed adjustment section 132) moves the second correction member 40 from the release position to the retreat position at a predetermined movement speed V4. The retracted position may be coaxial with the release position in the Z-axis direction; alternatively, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. , the second contact roller 42 on the distal end side may be rotated, and the position after rotation may be set as the retracted position.

The above is the processing flow on the second correction member 40 side. After this processing flow, the processing flow of the first correction member 20 that applies a load to the central portion 100m of the pipe 100 starts.

Each step of the processing flow of the first correction member 20 is the same as steps S11 to S15 described above. Step S21 in which the first correction member 20 starts moving in the Z-axis negative direction (first direction) by the control unit 13 is performed, for example, at the same time as step S12 described above. However, it is not limited to this.

Next, in step S22, the control unit 13 causes the first contact roller 22 of the first straightening member 20 to contact the central portion 100m of the outer circumferential surface of the tube 100, and further move in the Z-axis negative direction (first direction). By moving, the tube 100 is pushed in and a predetermined amount of load is applied to the tube 100. At this time, the control section 13 (moving speed adjustment section 132) moves (lowers) the first correction member 20 from the contact position to the load position at a predetermined moving speed V2. As an example, the first contact roller 22 of the first correction member 20 applies a load of 3 tons to the central portion 100m.

Next, in step S23, the control unit 13 maintains a state in which the first contact roller 22 of the first straightening member 20 applies a predetermined load to the tube 100 for a predetermined time. Thereby, the tube 100 is straightened around the central portion 100m.

Next, in step S24, the control unit 13 moves the first correction member 20 in the Z-axis positive direction (second direction) in order to release the load applied by the first contact roller 22 to the first correction member 20 ( start). At this time, the control unit 13 (movement speed adjustment unit 132) moves the first correction member 20 at a predetermined movement speed V3 from the load position to the release position where the contact between the pipe 100 and the first contact roller 22 is released. (raise) The predetermined moving speed V3 is slower than the moving speeds V1, V2, and V4 of the first correction member 20.

Next, in step S25, the control unit 13 further moves the first contact roller 22 of the first correction member 20 from the release position to the retracted position. At this time, the control section 13 (movement speed adjustment section 132) moves the second correction member 40 from the release position to the retreat position at a predetermined movement speed V4.

When each of the above steps is completed, the rotation of the tube 100 is stopped, and the series of correction methods are completed. Note that in FIG. 10, each step on the second correction member 40 side and each step on the first correction member 20 side have the same timing of proceeding to the next step, but the timing is not limited to this.

As described above, the straightening method of the present embodiment includes the step of rotating the tube around the tube axis (step S0), and the step of rotating the first contact roller 22 of the straightening mechanism 12 at a predetermined position on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating tube 100. By bringing the second contact roller 42 into contact and moving the correction mechanism 12 in a predetermined direction (first direction, Z-axis negative direction), a load of a predetermined magnitude is applied to the boundary portion 100p and the central portion 100m (predetermined position). After the first step, the correction mechanism 12 is moved in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction (first direction, Z-axis negative direction) (second direction, Z-axis positive direction). ), the speed V3 of movement of the correction mechanism 12 in the second step (steps S14, S24) is changed to The speed of movement of the correction mechanism 12 in one step is made slower than V2.

(Operations and effects of this embodiment)
As described above, according to the present embodiment, by straightening the tube 100 as described above using the straightening device 1, the positions of the first contact roller 22 and the second contact roller 42 (positions in the Z-axis direction) The contact roller applies a load to a predetermined position on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating tube 100 (center portion 100m and boundary portion 100p). As a result, a uniform load is applied to the tube 100 along the outer circumferential surface, and the deformed tube 100 can be corrected over its entire length. In this embodiment, bending is cited as an example of deformation, but even if the tube 100 is deformed into an ellipse rather than a perfect circle in cross section, the straightening device 1 described above can correct the entire length of the tube 100. can do.

In addition, since the deformation of the pipe is corrected over the entire length of the pipe by applying a load to the central portion 100m and the boundary portion 100p of the pipe using the first contact roller 22 and the second contact roller 42, the deformed portion can be identified before correction. It is possible to omit inspections to determine the presence or absence of deformation. Therefore, there is no need to install such an inspection mechanism, and the equipment for performing correction can be made smaller than before. Further, since the time required for such an inspection in the tube straightening process can be omitted, the working efficiency of tube straightening can be improved. Note that it is also possible to add an inspection mechanism downstream of the correction device 1 to determine the presence or absence of deformation.

Furthermore, in the conventional correction method, it was necessary to adjust the correction position of the tube (by rotating it) based on the inspection results of the deformed part, but according to the above configuration, the tube can be rotated by the tube rotation unit 11. Since the tube is straightened while moving, there is no need to adjust the tube straightening position as in the past, and the working time can be significantly reduced.

In addition, with the above-mentioned configuration, the structure that contacts the predetermined position is a contact roller that rotates in response to the rotation of the tube, so that the load can be applied without damaging the outer surface of the tube.

Further, according to the correction method of this embodiment, by regulating the speed of movement of the correction mechanism as described above, it is possible to slowly reduce the load applied to the predetermined position. By reducing the load slowly in this manner, the residual stresses associated with the deformation of the tube can be continuously canceled out, leading to zero residual stress, and the tube can be more straightened over its entire length. On the other hand, in the first step of applying a load to the predetermined position of the tube, the load is applied rapidly, that is, faster than the moving speed when reducing the load. Therefore, by adjusting the moving speed to an appropriate speed depending on the process, the processing time required for correction can be minimized.

According to the straightening method of this embodiment, the first step (steps S12 and S22) described above includes a previous step (step S12) and a subsequent step (step S22) that is performed after the previous step (step S12). In the previous step (step S12), the boundary portion 100p between the receiving port 100b and the straight pipe portion 100a is set as a predetermined position, and the straightening mechanism is brought into contact with the boundary portion 100p. In the subsequent step (step S22), the central portion 100m in the axial direction of the pipe 100 is set as a predetermined position, and the straightening mechanism 12 is brought into contact with the central portion 100m. This allows the pipe to be effectively straightened by first applying a load to the boundary portion 100p, which has a relatively large amount of bending in a pipe having a receiving port. In addition, in a long pipe, the central portion 100m in the pipe axial direction is prone to bending, so by applying a load to the central portion 100m of the pipe, which has already been straightened to a certain extent by the load on the boundary portion 100p, it is possible to straighten the pipe 100 more effectively.

<Modified example>
In the embodiment described above, the tube 100 is placed on the tube rotating section 11, and the straightening mechanism 12 descends from above the tube 100 to bring the first and second contact rollers 22, 42 into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the tube 100. In this state, the correction mechanism 12 moves further downward to push the tube 100 downward. However, in one aspect of the present invention, the direction of the tube axis of the tube is not limited to the horizontal direction as shown in FIG. 1, and the direction of movement of the correction mechanism 12 is not limited to the Z-axis direction.

FIG. 11 shows a modified example. FIG. 11 shows an embodiment including a tube rotating section 11 that supports the outer circumferential surface of the tube 100 from all sides with the tube axis parallel to the X-axis. The tube rotating section 11 includes four rotating rollers 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d so that the tube 100 can be supported from the top and bottom and from the left and right. Since the tube 100 is supported from all sides in this manner, the tube 100 can be straightened from bending no matter which direction the straightening mechanism (FIG. 11 shows the first contact roller 22) applies a load. In the modification shown in FIG. 11, the first contact roller 22 applies a load to the tube 100 in the positive direction of the Z-axis. Also in this modification, the deformation of the tube 100 is corrected over its entire length.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims.

1 Straightening device 2 Pipe straightening line 3 Conveying device 11 Pipe rotating parts 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d Rotating roller 11k Drive part 12 Straightening mechanism 13 Control part 20 First straightening member (straightening mechanism)
22 First contact roller (contact roller)
40 Second correction member (correction mechanism)
42 Second contact roller (contact roller)
43 Roller support part 44 Straightening drive part 100a Straight pipe part 100b Socket 100c Insertion port (other pipe end)
100m Central portion 100p Boundary portion 131 Position adjustment section 132 Movement speed adjustment section

Claims (3)

A straightening device for straightening deformation of a pipe in the entire axial direction,
a tube rotation unit that rotates the tube around a tube axis at a predetermined rotation speed;
a straightening mechanism including a contact roller capable of contacting a predetermined position on an outer circumferential surface of the tube and rotating in response to the rotation of the tube;
a control unit for controlling a pressing amount of the contact roller in a radial direction of the tube with respect to a predetermined position on an outer circumferential surface of the tube and a position of the contact roller, the control unit having a movement speed adjustment unit for adjusting a speed at which the position of the contact roller moves in the radial direction of the tube from a specified position to another specified position;
Equipped with
the control unit controls a position of the contact roller so that the contact roller comes into contact with the predetermined position of the tube in a state where the tube is being rotated at the predetermined rotation speed by the tube rotation unit, and a load of a predetermined magnitude is applied to the predetermined position,
The control unit has a position adjustment unit that adjusts the position of the contact roller so that the position is at the specified position,
The specified position is as follows:
a load position when the load of the predetermined magnitude is applied to the tube; and
and a release position in which the load is released from contact with the outer circumferential surface of the pipe at a predetermined position after the load of the predetermined magnitude is applied.
the moving speed adjustment unit adjusts the moving speed of the contact roller when moving from the loaded position previously adjusted by the position adjustment unit to the released position to a slower speed than the moving speed of the contact roller when moving through other sections, and adjusts the moving speed to a speed that can remove the load generated in the tube by pressing the contact roller against the tube, and can cancel out residual stresses at symmetrical positions across the tube axis to approximately zero, thereby straightening the tube over the entire axial length.
An orthodontic device characterized by: The pipe has a socket at one pipe end, and a straight pipe part between the socket and the other pipe end,
The straightening mechanism includes a first straightening member including a first contact roller as the contact roller; the first straightening member is provided at a different location along the tube axis direction of the tube; has a second straightening member equipped with a different second contact roller as the contact roller,
The first straightening member has the central portion of the tube in the tube axis direction set at the predetermined position, and the first contact roller is brought into contact with the central portion;
The second correction member brings the second contact roller into contact with the boundary portion, with the boundary portion between the socket and the straight pipe portion at the predetermined position.
The orthodontic device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A correction method for correcting deformation in the entire axial direction of a tube, the method comprising:
a tube rotation step of rotating the tube at a predetermined rotational speed around a tube axis;
a control step of controlling a contact roller that is capable of contacting a predetermined position on the outer circumferential surface of the tube and that is rotatable following the rotation of the tube by the tube rotation step;
including;
In the control step, the amount of pushing of the contact roller in the radial direction of the tube with respect to a predetermined position on the outer circumferential surface of the tube and the position of the contact roller are controlled, and the position of the contact roller is further adjusted to a prescribed position. adjust the speed of movement along the radial direction of the tube from to another prescribed position,
In the control step, the contact roller is brought into contact with the predetermined position of the tube that is rotating at the predetermined rotational speed in the tube rotation step, and a load of a predetermined magnitude is applied to the predetermined position. controlling the position of the contact roller so that
In the control step, the position of the contact roller is adjusted to the specified position,
The specified position is as follows:
a load position when a load of the predetermined size is applied to the pipe;
at least a release position in which the pipe is in a non-contact state with respect to the outer circumferential surface of the pipe at a predetermined position after the predetermined amount of load is applied;
In the control step, the moving speed of the contact roller when moving from the pre-adjusted load position to the release position is a slow speed that is slower than the moving speed of the contact roller when moving in other sections. Then, the load generated on the tube due to the pushing of the contact roller against the tube is removed, residual stress at symmetrical positions across the tube axis is canceled out to almost zero, and the tube is straightened over the entire axial length of the tube. Adjust to the speed that can be corrected,
A correction method characterized by:

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